Art of and means for burning domestic or producer gas



A. H. THOMPSON.

ART OF AND MEANS FOR BURNING DOMESTIC 0R PRODUCER GASv APPLICATION FHDJAN. 22. IQIQ.

Patented Oct. 31,

1V/////4.V///////////l Patented Oct. 31, 1922.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALFRED H. THOMPSON, OF VENI IIGE, CALIFORNIA.

ART or AND MEANS ron BURNING nom'nsrrc on PRODUCER ens.

Application filed January 22, 1919. Serial No. 272,587.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED H. THOMPSON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Venice, in the county of Los Angeles and State ofCalifornia, have discovered and inventeda new and useful Art of andMeans for Burning Domestic or Producer Gas, of Which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to the art of producing from domestic or producergas a flameof high heat value, and is adapted to i both domestic andindustrial purposes.

An object of the discovery and invention is to produce a torch or blastflame from domestic or producer gas at low pressure and to provide a gasburner adapted to such production.

Another object is to provide a burner of this character which isadjustable to various pressures and qualities of gas.

An object is to obtain maximum efficiency and maximum heat from a givenamount of domestic or producer gas.

Heretofore there have been two widely different methods of burningdomestic or producer gas; one being the method exemplified in the Bunsenburner, and the other in illuminating.

The invention is broadly new, basic and pioneer in that the burner is inthe form of a cup the open end of which extends be yond and isadjustable toward and from a gas injecting orifice.

. I have discovered that by relative adjustment between the gasinjecting orifice and the open end of the cup,gas having variouspressures and B. T. U. values may be thoroughly mixed and combusted soas to support a blue flame within the cup, thus making the burnerpractical for industrial purposes. The cup being so constructed thatwhen said jet of gas is ignited, atmospheric air within the cup willflow directly toward the jet within the cup from all sides and willsupply oxygen equally from all sides to the ignited gas which entrainsand expands an inner column of air. that thus becomes mixed with thecarbonaceous substance of the jet and a violent and ex losive combustiontakes place within said urner giving the effect produced by a jet of gasand air under high pressure.

This invention is, distinguished from burners which are merely intendedto support a flame such as illuminating lamps 0r cigar lighters in thatnone of such devices heretofore made, have been intended for or capableof industrial use for heating purposes.

This invention is adapted for burning as under domestic pressure in amanner feasi le for domestic and industrial and all other uses in whichheat is produced from the combustion of gas under moderate pressure. Theburner is not intended for lighting except in cases where anincandescent element is heated for producing the light.

The burner is adapted for use in stoves and furnaces and also in theope-n air and is adapted to use gas at domestic pressure or otherpressure; that is to say from a pressure equal to five to eight incheswater pressure up to high pressure, and to cause the gas to burn withblue flame within the burner with the same violence of combustion atdomestic pressure as has heretofore 76 been obtained with the use of gasunder many pounds pressure.

An object of this invention is to provide aburner for the use of gas forindustrial purposes which can be operated without the 80 installation ofa pressure plant which has heretofore been necessary in burning domesticgas for industrial purposes.

An object is to produce with low pressure gas a torch flame which hasheretofore been 35 produced only by the use of high pressure gas. 7

Another object of the invention is to so' construct the burner as toeffect the maximum intimate admixture of air with the gas.

The torch flame or flame for industrial purposes above referred to is ablue flame.

An object of this invention is to maintain such blue flame withoutliability of extinguishment so long as the fuel is supplied.

Further objects, advantages and features of invention may appear fromthe accompanying drawing, the subjoined detail descri tion and theappended claims.

T e accompanying drawing illustrates the invention.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a group of seven burners and one pilotlight constructed in accordance with this invention, applied to a basefor heating.

*ig. 2 is an axial section of one form of a burner constructed inaccordance with this invention.

Fig. 3 is an axial section of another form of burner.

Fig. 4 is a plan view looking into the outlet end of the burner shown inFi 2.

Fig. 5 is a detached view of t e burner head shown in Fig. 3, looking atthe inlet end.

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the outlet end of the stem of the burner shownin Fig. 3.

Fig. 7 is a plan of the nipple shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

The burner shown in Fig. 2 comprises a cup 1, having a wide cylindricalchamber 2. open to the air at its rim 3 and having at the end of thechamber 2, opposite the rim, a jet inlet 4 that after the commonconstruction of jet orifices is of small diameter. Said jet orifice isminute as compared to the outlet orifice of the cup, and also relativeto the cross sectional area of the chamber 2 at the level of the jetorifice. Said cup terminates in a narrow neck 5, closed to the externalair by the stem 6 screwed into the said neck and provided with a jetpiece 7 having a reduced orifice 4 through which the gas issues from thebore of the stem. Said stem is provided with an elongate threadedportion 8 which screws into the neck 5. The neck 5 has at its lower enda reduced internally threaded portion 9, through which the threaded stem6 is screwed. Said stem is externally threaded at 10 opposite its jetend into which the jet piece screws The gas outlet 4 in the jet piece 7is of greatly reduced diameter as compared with the bore 11 of the neck5; and said bore is about one-third the diameter of the chamber 2. Saidchamber is provided with interior air current interrupting anddistributing' means which are shown as being formed of annular beads 12three in number arranged in planes that are at right angles to the axisof the cup. These rings 12 are for the purpose of causing waves in theair which flows to the plane of burning as, and serves to provide forthe cup annu ar recesses 13, 14, 15, surrounding the chamber 2. all ofthe same diameter with annular ribs between them.

In practical operation as at low pressure is admitted to the stem trough the minute nozzle orifice 4 within the reduced cavity or neck ofthe cup.

In ractical operation the as will be admitte to the orifice 4 throng]the valve 16,

ipe 17, stem 6, and burner tip 7 and will be ignited at the burner tip.

It is not directly known just what operation takes place at this moment,but the phenomena is very striking when the burner tip 7 is adjustedrelative to the cup 1 best adapted for burning the quantity of gasadmitted when admitted under the pressure de termined by the conditionsprevailing, that is to say, if the adjustments are such as to complywith the conditions of the gas as to collect the pressure as it issuesthrough the tip 7, a blast flame is immediately produced characterizedby very violent combustion, and it is determined by a lighted match atone ed e of the cup that the atmospheric air flows own over the rim ofthe cup around the inner face of the cup walls being caused to havesuccessions of expansions and contractions as it successively passes theribs 12 and the inner spaces 13, 14, 15, between said ribs. Said matchor candle flame is carried violently inward by atmospheric pressure andthe combustion within the cup proceeds with a succession of explosionsand the atmospheric air which has been admitted in the form of a hollowtube entirely surrounds the flow of the jet piece and appears to beviolently a itated or torn by the inflowing tubular b0 y of atmosphericair and a violent mixing of the inner and outward flowing tube of airwith the outward flowing jet of gas takes place, and it is found thatwith a low pressure of atmospheric as, at say six inches to nine incheswater co umn pressure, will produce a roaring blast flame that I havenever been able to produce in any other way.

The method of producing this flame is different from the method ofproducing the flame of a Bunsen burner, in that method the gas and airare intermittently mixed together before the locus of combustion is 110reached.

Said method is also very different from that of an 0 en tip burner whichis commonly used or illuminating purposes, because with the open tipburner the air flows 115 laterally to the as jet and apparently coolsthe heat of the ame on account of the at and owing to the frictionbetween the hol- 7 low inflowing body of air, the hollow outflowing bodwhich almost instantly becomes a body of air and gas mixture causes aviolent admixture of oxygen with the incandescent particles of theignited gas and a comparatively large body of flame under violentcombustion is produced.

In the two forms which I have shown in the drawing the cup and neck ofthe burner are made of some suitable material as brass or iron, whichmay be cast to the form shown; it being understood that the burnerthreads of the neck are machined after the casting has been made, or themay be made of pressed suitable material,

The form shown in Fig. 2 is deemed preferable for the reason that it ismore easily constructed than the form shown in Fig. 3. In this form thestem is threaded from the front end to a wrench boss 19, and screwsthrough an internal projection or threaded collar 9 at the lower end ofthe burner so that the burner may be easily adjusted to any positionrequired.

If when the burner is lighted, it is discovered that combustion proceedsin the form of a yellow flame without the explosive combustion abovereferred to it is thus indicated that either the gas is too rich or thatthe pressure is too low for a particular position the jet piece occupiesrelative to the chamber of the cup. To adjust this condition and producethe explosive efl'ect above referred to the attendant may screw the cupdownward on the stem until the desired combustion results.

Fig. 3 shows a modified form in which the neck 5 is internally threadedthe whole length as at 11 while the stem 6' is externally threaded onlya short distance at the top as at 18 where it engages the screw thread11 for the purpose of raising and lowering the cup 1, the portion 8' ofthe stem 6 between the threads 18 and the wrench boss 19 is smooth andof a somewhat reduced diameter.

In Fig. 2 the burners are represented as adjusted to an appropriateposition for burning low pressure gas of about 600 to 800 B. T. l1, andwithin the range from six inches to nine inches water column pressure.If when the burner is thus adjusted it be supplied with gas of a higherB. T. U. value or a greater pressure the flame would be extinguished bythe violence of the combustion. thereupon the attendant will screw thecup upward on the stem until the mixture of gas and hydrogen willsupport a flame. then the attendant will carefully adjust the cup tothat position where the results which he desires are produced.

This invention is applicable to heat producing flames and also to apilot light, and in Fig. 1 a pilot light 21 supplied through a valvedpipe 22 is arranged in position to supply flame to the gas mixtureissuing from the group of burners shown in that view.

In practical operation it is found that the method of burning the gasand the results obtained from thus burnin the is not dependent upon thevertic position of the cup shown and the explosive action of thecombustion is so great that the flame will be rojected upward, downwardor at an ange with the same efliciency as that 'ust explained. Of courseit is understoo if the group of burnerssuch as shown in Fig. 1 wereinverted the products of combustion from some ofthe burners mi htinterfere with the perfect combustion 0 some of the other burners.

It appears from observation of the operation 0 and gas out of the burnerin the form of a flame, causes a suction at the bottom of the bowl anddraws air into said burner circumferentially between said flame and therim 3 of the burner to support a blue flame, and it is understood thatthe atmospheric pressure is removed to a greater or less extent from theorifice of the burner tip, due to a partial vacuum created in said bowlby the successive explosions of the mixture of gas and air therein.

It is apparent that if such pressure from the outside air were fullyremoved from said orifice 4, thereby creating a true vacuum, thevelocity of the flow of the gas through said orifice would equal that ofatmospheric air flowing into a vacuum plus the water column pressurebecause in order for the gas to flow from the orifice under the usualconditions the atmospheric pressure must be overcome. Since saidatmospheric pressure amounts to some 14:.7 pounds to which must be addedthe six inch to nine inch water column pressure under which the gas israted, the gas will flow from the orifice at a speed proportional to thenormal atmospheric pressure plus the water column pressure as comparedwith the lowered pressure at the atmospheric side of the orifice.

The cylindrical form of the cup allows the air to flow uniformly towardthe column of as from the level or the plane of the orifice to theoutlet of the cup, thus giving a very high temperature to the torchflame.

It is understood that when the burner tip is screwed down toward orbelow the bottom of the cup that this suction is decreased and that byscrewing the said tip far enough down in the neck such decreasing can beproperly controlled as above indicated no matter how high the pressuremay be, provided the neck is long enough to allow the gas to expand insaid neck, and thereby allowing the reduction of the gas jet reducingthe air pressure to be restored nearly to atmospheric pressure at theorifice of the tip.

It is also observed that the explosive combustion which takes place whenthe burner is properly adjusted for that purpose causes a lateraldisplacement of the air and prothe burner that the exit of the air ducesan increased pressure upon the ingoin hollow body of air until suchpressure 1s applied more particularly to the surroundin wall and thebottom of the burner cup an with the result that the outward flow isaccelerated, consequently entraining the gas jet and serving to removethe pressure from the orifice of the burner tip.

I claim.

1. A burner to burn gas, that sucks air in a bowl, over the sides ofsaid bowl, to supply air for combustion within said bowl, an 011-- ficefor supplying gas to said bowl, and means whereby the top of said bowlmay be adjusted relative to said orifice so as to produce a blue flamewith gas of various pressures and B. T. U. value.

2. A burner to burn as provided with a deep cylindrical bowl-1i e cavityand a neck extending down from said cavity and being adjustab y mountedon a nipple which extends into said downwardly extending neck andprovided with a jet piece to discharge gas centrally into said bowl andup through said downwardly extending neck according to the adjustment ofsaid jet piece in said downwardly extending neck.

3. A burner to burn gas, comprising a deep broad-bottomed bowl-likecavity with a central orifice above the bottom of the cavity, wherebythe air supplied to the gas for combustion, is above the orificeadmitting the gas to the atmosphere, the pressure of the gas with thecombustible explosion, causing a suction and injecting air to the zonewhere the gas is admitted to the atmosphere to support a blue flame,said central orifice being adapted to be adjusted toward and from theorifice admitting the gas thereto for the purpose specified.

4. The method of burning gas which consists in producing a central et ofgas and directing a hollow cylindrical body of air toward the base ofsaid jet preventing the air from passing on beyond the base of the jet,thereby causing a deflection of an inner shell of air toward the top ofthe jet, so that the reverse direct inflowing air before the outflowingwill impinge the inner wall of another past the outer wall of the otherthus causing a mixture by reason of the friction between the airsurface, and also causing the gas 'et to mix with the inside of'theinner wal y of air and also causing a reduction of atmospheric pressureat the orifice through which the gas jet issues, said central orificebeing adapted to be adjusted toward and from the orifice admitting thegas thereto for the purpose specified.

5. In the art of combustion the method Set forth ofincreasing a mixtureof air with a gas jet, which method consists in removing from theorifice of the gas jet some or all of the atmo heric pressure to whichit is ordinarily su ject, and surrounding the jet with a cylindricalcolumn of air from which air may flow directl toward the jet, andvarying the jet in sai cylindrical column of air to the uisite positionin order to produce a blue ame.

6. The method set forth of producing complete combustion which consistsin d1- rectmg a ct of combustible fluid toward the desired locus ofcomplete combustion and toward the base of such jet and directingalongside the jet and enclosing the same at the sides thereof the fluidnecessary for effecting the combustion, and adjusting the jet in saidfluid so that a blue flame is produced.

7. The combination of the bowl-like burner having a hollow neck and anipple adjustable in the hollow neck and provided with an adjustableburner tip whereby the distance between the jet hole and the top of thebowl may be accurately adjusted to produce a blue flame of a requiredcharacter.

8. The combination with a nipple, a burner tip having a reduced orificeadjustably mounted in the end of said nipple, of a bowl-like burnerhaving a hollow neck and being adjustably mounted on said nipple,whereby the distance between the orifice and the top of the bowl may beaccurately adjusted to produce a blue flame with gas oi various pressureor B. T. U. value, and air current interrupting and distributing meanson the interior of said bowl.

9. The combination of the bowl-like burner having a hollow neck, anipple provided with an orifice which extends mto said hollow neck, saidbowl-like burner being adjustably mounted on said nip lc whereby thedistance between said ori cc and the top of said bowl may be accuratelyadjusted to produce a blue flame with gas of various pressure or B. T.U. value.

10. In a burner to burn gas comprising a gas admitting orifice and aburner cup open at the top and so arranged that the gas and the airapplied to the gas for combustion flow in opposite directions to thepoint of combustion; means whereby the distance between the top of thecup and the gas admitting orifice may be varied so as to support a flamewith gas at different pressures and B. T. U. value.

11. A burner to burn gas having a bowllike cavity and a nipple extendinginto said cavity provided with a gas admitting orifice, and meanswhereby the distance between the top of said bowl-like cavity and thegas admitting orifice may be varied 12. A burner to burn gas providedwith a bowl-like cavity, and a nipple extending into said cavity andprovided with a gas admittin orifice, said bowl-like cavity beingadjustab y mounted on said nipple.

13. A burner to burn gas provided with a bowl-like cavity and having aneck extending down from ranged in said neck and provided wit admittinorifice, distance ietween cavity and said increased and 14. A burnerbowl-like cavity ing down froin justably mounte and which is providedwith a said cavity, a nip 1e ara gas and means whereby the the top ofsaid bowI-like aaadmitting orifice may be ecreased.

to burn gas provided with a and having a neck extendsaid cavity, andbeing add on a nipple in said neck gas admitting 15. A burner to burngas so arranged that the com ustlon, flow as and the air applied to thegas for in opposite directions to 15 the point of combustion and meanswhereby to supply gas for combusated. whereof,- I have hereunto setAngeles, California, this 20 ary, 1919.

ALFRED H. THOMPSON.

Witness Jams R. Towzvemvn.

Cettifiateof Correction. o It is hereby pel'fified that in LettersPatent No. 1,484,256, gmnted October 31, 1922, upon the application ofAlfred H. Thompson, of Venice, Celifernia, for an improvement in The Artof ma Mm for Burning Domestic or Producer Gas, m ermr appears in thespecification requiring eon-motion as follows: Page 8, line 58, for wordhydrogen omygen; and that the said Letters Patent should be ad. withthis correction therein that the same may conform to the record of-thecase in the Patent 0500.

Signed ma sealed this 5th day 51 11,1922

[mm] mm, FENNING,

4am; 00mm of'Patmta.

